Use of swing absorbers in beds with adjustable back



0. GREINER Oct. 27, 1970 USE OF SWING ABSORBERS IN BEDS WITH ADJUSTABLEBACK Filed D60. 4, 1967 InventorzOtto Greiner United States Patent US.Cl. 66 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The use of motion deceleratorsin combination with an adjustable back in a bed which can be adjusted bythe users shifting his body-weight.

Beds with adjustable backs where the user can freely and withoutassistance move the back up or down by transmission of his body weightand can lock it in any position by means of a brake, present thefollowing danger if they are manipulated incorrectly.

If the user moves from the lying into the sitting position withoutpreviously having released the brake, the back cannot follow hismovement and springs upwards against the users back if the brake issubsequently released. The same happens if the brake is released withoutanybody lying on the bed, since the movement of the back depends uponthe transmissioin of weight from the seat to the back and vice versa,and since the weight of the seat alone is sufiicient to cause the backto move upwards.

This undesirable upward swinging movement can be prevented by employingswing absorbers, that is devices which have little braking action whenthe movement is slow, but exert proportionally increasing braking actionwith increasing speed of movement.

In the present case one or more unilaterally acting, hydraulic shockabsorbers are used, which are extended when the back swings upwards andexert the braking action mentioned above, but exert no such action ifthe movement is reversed.

FIGS. 2 and 1 show two examples.

FIG. 1 shows the arrangement of two swing absorbers on a normal hospitalbed. For the sake of clarity, the spring covering and the locking devicehave been omitted.

FIG. 2 shows a section cm. in front of the longitudinal axis of the bedon a larger scale, using one swing absorber.

The bed (FIG. 1) with the usual mobile base and toothed members toregulate the height of the foot end, has a lying surface frame 1comprising a movably attached back 2. The device effecting the state ofbalance between seat and back and permitting the user to assume anyposture from the lying to the sitting position, consists of the supportcombination formed by the two-armed lever 3 with bar 4. In order toprevent any undesired sudden upward swinging movement of the back if thebed is manipulated incorrectly, the upper end of a known swing absorber5 is movably connected to each of the two side bars of the back, whereasits lower end is movably attached to the side bar 7 of the mobile base.If only one swing absorber (FIG. 2) is used, it upper end 6 is movablyconnected to a cross bracket 9 of the back and the lower end is movablyconnected between clips 11 attached to a cross bracket 10 of the seatframe 1.

The cross brackets 9 and 10 also serve to receive the locking device forthe back, whereby a bow-shaped member 12 can be locked via an eccentrictappet 13 in the trapeze-shaped recess of a plate and released via thelever 15.

The arrangements shown are only examples. It is also possible to attachseveral swing absorbers between the cross brackets of the back and theextended seat, or only one absorber between the back and the base or anormal bed frame with side walls.

I claim:

1. In beds where the back can be moved by transmission of the usersbody-weight into any angle of inclination between the lying and sittingpositions and can be locked in any of these positions, the use of adevice to prevent any sudden undesired upward swinging movement of theback, consisting of one or more known motion decelerator the upper endsof which are movably attached to the back, their lower ends beingconnected to a rear extension of the seat or to a firm bed frame or abase.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,190,695 6/1965 Jacobi 297-4262,639,913 5/ 1953 Reynolds 297-216 X 2,943,866 7/1960 Witter 297-216 X3,061,843 11/ 1962 Singer et al 566 3,253,285 5/ 1966 Fox 567 3,268,2568/1966 Blank 297--216 3,283,342 11/1966 Pankert 566 3,319,270 5/1967Greiner 566 3,353,193 11/1967 Greiner 566 CASMIR A. NUNBERG, PrimaryExaminer US. Cl. X.R. 29729, 320

